Opinion Essendon - where are they at?

[jdstorm]

Do you see a genuine plan and strategy coming together this time after the piecemeal approach previously?

Absolutely.

The list was such a mess that it’s taken Rosa about 3 seasons to start to mostly untangle the mess that was left. The biggest issue being an abundance of small mids. The next major issue being poor skills and endurance.

right now looking at the list if everyone was/is healthy you can see two fully functional AFL teams with the right number of each position type.

that hasn’t been true of Essendon for a long time. This offseason we’ve focused on not being at such a power disadvantage in the midfield and have drafted 3 mids with the size and physicality in the first round to try and address that. Nick Martin going into the midfield was also on the cards and with him out for a year weve replaced like for like with setterfield being a tall defensive mid (the role Martin was presumably being earmarked for)

Furthermore when you look at the younger guys they’ve bought in the last few seasons you can see they have prototypical positional size, good skills and good tanks.

Have one of the youngest lists in the comp so still have a long way to go but there’s at least the chance that this team could perform to the sum of its parts.

 

[Ren]

Richmond 2017 - Collingwood 2023 - Essendon 2026. The chaos forward premiership torch shall be passed

Except ours will be chaos ball even for our own players.i can see it now, handballing forward to no one while the opposition intercept and go coast to coast

 

[Shane Heard]

I think we are recruiting players that are a genuine need and suitable to our new gameplan and strategy , where as in other years we where choosing best available. Im actually curious to see how we will play next year, from all reports we are going to be implementing a move the ball forward at all cost gameplan

“ a move the ball forward at all cost gameplay”

You mean keep hand passing it around 13 times before you kick while running in waves with no opponents tackling anyone?

Sounds like a great plan. Innovating .

 

[SSSSSS]

Vozzo gone as CEO

 

[Yoda_]

Vozzo gone as CEO

And??

not really the place for it mate, he is a highly respected CEO who finished his contract and wants to return home (to SA) after 16 years interstate

 

[jannissary]

And??

not really the place for it mate, he is a highly respected CEO who finished his contract and wants to return home (to SA) after 16 years interstate

don't get in the way of the Agenda Setters

 

[matthew_s]

don't get in the way of the Agenda Setters

was there a transition plan? Has the new CEO been appointed?

 

[jannissary]

was there a transition plan? Has the new CEO been appointed?

don't know, don't really care.

 

[branedotorg]

As much as I take pleasure in Essendon's failures, especially post saga, this one is based on a surprise call by the CEO after starting to make some genuinely positive changes.

This is no Andrew Thornburn cluster ****. My only thought is he started cleaning house but there still a lot of the old gang and coteries waiting in the wings to 'reclaim the club'.

The next boss must be able to defy the Sheedy/Hird/Adrian disciples or the dark cycle will continue.

I know because Carlton and Essendon have been navel gazing for most of this century and recently we've got rid of most of our cultural cancers.

 

[Orfullrules]

As much as I take pleasure in Essendon's failures, especially post saga, this one is based on a surprise call by the CEO after starting to make some genuinely positive changes.

This is no Andrew Thornburn cluster ****. My only thought is he started cleaning house but there still a lot of the old gang and coteries waiting in the wings to 'reclaim the club'.

The next boss must be able to defy the Sheedy/Hird/Adrian disciples or the dark cycle will continue.

I know because Carlton and Essendon have been navel gazing for most of this century and recently we've got rid of most of our cultural cancers.

Don’t lump us with your shit club.

 

[Yoda_]

As much as I take pleasure in Essendon's failures, especially post saga, this one is based on a surprise call by the CEO after starting to make some genuinely positive changes.

This is no Andrew Thornburn cluster ****. My only thought is he started cleaning house but there still a lot of the old gang and coteries waiting in the wings to 'reclaim the club'.

The next boss must be able to defy the Sheedy/Hird/Adrian disciples or the dark cycle will continue.

I know because Carlton and Essendon have been navel gazing for most of this century and recently we've got rid of most of our cultural cancers.

Id be putting a call in to Jimmy Bartell and see what he is up to

 

[matthew_s]

As much as I take pleasure in Essendon's failures, especially post saga, this one is based on a surprise call by the CEO after starting to make some genuinely positive changes.

How is it a surprise call if as the previous poster says it was the end of his contract?

 

[Yoda_]

How is it a surprise call if as the previous poster says it was the end of his contract?

see below

don't get in the way of the Agenda Setters

 

[branedotorg]

How is it a surprise call if as the previous poster says it was the end of his contract?

less obviously? surprising he has a calendar, not footy seaon based contract i guess.

 

[Red Bull]

I am new to the AFL, so I checked Essendon's history. They haven't won more than 12 games since 2013 (14-8). What happened to such a (historically) successful franchise?

 

[matthew_s]

see below

Is there a replacement? Was it planned?

 

[Borussia Teeth]

View attachment 2498200

Bah Gawd, that’s James Hird’s music!

 

[Mr.X]

I think he meant for our stage of development.

Our current age profile has fairly set in that bottom six bracket.

Maybe however they did accelerate the youth due to having so many injuries last season

 

[PowerfulPies2023]

Bombers had a string in injuries in 2025. Not sure about their flag material or Carltons. I thought thr Blues would kick on after 2023 granted they were lucky vs Melbourne. But they've regressed. I don't see them getting amongst finals football this season or Essendon.

 

[jdstorm]

Bombers had a string in injuries in 2025. Not sure about their flag material or Carltons. I thought thr Blues would kick on after 2023 granted they were lucky vs Melbourne. But they've regressed. I don't see them getting amongst finals football this season or Essendon.

The case for Essendon being decent for most of the last decade has involved staying healthy and high draft picks performing to expected outcomes.

Hasn’t worked yet but maybe this year

 

[Yoda_]

The case for Essendon being decent for most of the last decade has involved staying healthy and high draft picks performing to expected outcomes.

Hasn’t worked yet but maybe this year

one of the biggest myths in footy,

Essendon have one player inside the top 4 selections on the list, Andrew McGrath, the top end talent comes fro mthese picks, and an argument for another day about development but we simply have been stuck in a never ending cycle of undeciding wheter we want to be shit or really shit

looks likeweve accepted really shit for the betterment of the long term positivity of the club

 

[jdstorm]

one of the biggest myths in footy,

Essendon have one player inside the top 4 selections on the list, Andrew McGrath, the top end talent comes fro mthese picks, and an argument for another day about development but we simply have been stuck in a never ending cycle of undeciding wheter we want to be shit or really shit

looks likeweve accepted really shit for the betterment of the long term positivity of the club

Feels like an arbitrary cut off. Elite talent can be found all through the draft depending on multiple factors. The chance at a player becoming AA in the 3-5 range is about 30% and in the 5-10 range about 10%

It’s less of a crapshoot but no guarantee the players drafted that high will be anything.

 

[Mr.X]

Feels like an arbitrary cut off. Elite talent can be found all through the draft depending on multiple factors. The chance at a player becoming AA in the 3-5 range is about 30% and in the 5-10 range about 10%

It’s less of a crapshoot but no guarantee the players drafted that high will be anything.

Even at those odds, hitting the draft remains a good strategy

Last season was overly hard on Essendon, they are a smokie for top 6 if everything goes their way

 

[Irish BlueBagger]

Don’t lump us with your shit club.

Well one of our clubs didn't get itself embroiled in a drugs scandal, the biggest drugs scandal in the history of Australian sport at that. One of our clubs hasn't been waiting two decades for a finals game win either.

 

[Orfullrules]

Well one of our clubs didn't get itself embroiled in a drugs scandal, the biggest drugs scandal in the history of Australian sport at that. One of our clubs hasn't been waiting two decades for a finals game win either.

Potato effort. Put your back into it mate.